Let's Forget for a Minute
by NonsensicalCheshire
Summary: Her feeding, her entertainment, her entire care was placed squarely on Kuroh's shoulders. But when he looked at her, that was okay; she was his fellow clansman and a dear friend, cherished by their Immortal King. So, he would do whatever she wanted, so long as it was in reason. Yes, he would even play a silly game with her. (Credit for cover goes to karudoll on tumblr)


A/N: I just love the Silver Clan, okay? They're cute and badass and I have a lot of feelings.

. . . . . . . .

* * *

"Kurosuke! Kurosuke! Play with me!" Neko tapped the top of his head as she walked behind him with the tip of Shiro's umbrella. The fifteen year old wore a pink dress with thick gray stockings. A fluffy white coat hung over her, and earmuffs adorned her cute pink head. "I'm bored, so let's play!"

Kuroh sighed. "Neko, I'm almost nineteen, I don't play games." He wore jeans, combat boots, and a black button-up shirt, a long gray sweater over those. A red scarf came up almost to his nose, and he pulled it down to talk to her more clearly.

Neko puffed out her cheeks. "But I wanna. Shiro would play with me."

Kuroh tensed, then turned, eye twitching. Honestly, he really did like the Strain, but her childlike behavior rubbed him the wrong way sometimes. He breathed deeply, thinking about what Ichigen-sama would say: Play with the cat girl. But he would have put it more poetically. Kuroh didn't have his foster father's way with words.

"Okay, what do you want to play?" Kuroh turned around, walking backwards.

Neko's eyes brightened up, and her lips came to a sunny smile. "Can we play tag?"

Kuroh put on a smile. Grimacing or sighing would make her feel bad. His "deceased" King wouldn't want that. "Sure thing." The young man looked around, frowning at the crowded streets. "Let's play at that park near the apartment. The streets are too crowded to- Hey!" A hand slapped him across the face.

Neko had taken off in a dead run a second later. "Myaa~ Kuroh can't catch Neko!"

"Neko, wait!" Kuroh tossed his scarf back around his neck and took off after her. "We're on a crowded street, I'll lose you!"

"That's the point, stupid Kuroh!"

"Patience, patience, like Ichigen-sama and Shiro taught you…" Kuroh mumbled to himself as he apologized and pushed past people to catch her. Maybe if he could tag her, he could lead her back to the apartment. He'd have to leave her there to go get stuff for dinner, but hopefully she would be fine on her own.

The Black Dog ran into a pole, distracted by eyeing a sale on tuna in a nearby store. While running. Not a smart move on his part. He grunted and grabbed his nose, twitched it, deemed it safe, and ran off again.

"Myaa! Nyaa! This is so much fun!"

"Neko, you better be apologizing- So sorry, miss- to the people you're knocking- Oh goodness, I'm so sorry, let me help you pick that up- over!"

"No time!"

"There's always time for manners, young lady!" Kuroh leaped over a fence, gracefully landing on the other side. He was catching up somewhat quickly, being in better physical condition than the cat girl. His playful side kicked in. "I'm going to catch you!" he teased in a similar manner to how Shiro would have acted.

Neko jumped and looked over her shoulder. "Oh no!" She tried to run faster, but he caught her with his arms around her waist and, knowing she could take it, he brought her to the ground. "Stupid, stupid, let me go!"

"Well, looks like the dog caught the cat. You're it!" Kuroh teased, then collected himself upon seeing her laughing uncontrollably. "What? What is it?"

She rolled onto her side, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "You- you're just acting so much like Shiro that it's funny!"

Kuroh quirked an eyebrown, flustered. "I'm… sorry? I guess his personality rubbed off on me a bit."

Neko sat up and crossed her legs over each other, rubbing at her different colored eyes and laughing still. "It's good, stupid Kurosuke! You needed to learn how to loosen up! I just hope you don't become exactly like Neko's Shiro, though, because I also like having Neko's Kuroh around."

That was the first time she'd put ownership upon him. Proud, he found himself somewhat insulted, but the part that had grown immensely fond of her was pleased. He put on a straight face. "Well, of course I won't become exactly like Shiro. That's impossible, and who would want to be like that idiot?"

Neko stopped laughing, frowned, puffed out her cheeks again, like she did whenever she got mad (or acted it). Balling up her tiny hands, she battered Kuroh's side weakly (she didn't really want to hurt him). "Stupid! Neko's Shiro wasn't an idiot!"

The young man put up one hand to stop her, smiling slightly. "Okay, the King wasn't an idiot, got it." He got up and held out a hand, and she took it, allowing him to yank her up. They started walking along the street, him holding onto one end of their King's umbrella, her holding onto the other. "Let's get back to the apartment, and then I have to go to the store to get stuff for dinner."

"I want tuna!"

"How convenient."

. . . . . . . .

* * *

"Neko, it's done. Please come to the table." Kuroh finished dumping rice into a bowl.

"Wait, wait! I'm almost done with this level!" Neko squeaked, tongue pointing a bit out of her mouth in concentration as she brutally pushed buttons on the video game controller. "This baddie isn't gonna beat Neko!"

Kuroh sighed. "Alright, but the tuna is going to get cold."

"Ah, fine, fine." She delivered the final blow to the games boss, screeched in victory, and bounced over to the small table, humming with joy. "I beat him, beat beat beat him."

"Wow, so impressive," Kuroh mumbled. He put dishes down on the table.

"Shiro would be proud!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he would." Kuroh pulled out the chair and seated himself, the put a hand across the table to stop her grabby hands. "Ah ah. Manners?"

Neko sighed and clapped her hands together. "Thank you for the food."

Kuroh did the same and allowed her to attack the meal, taking his portion when she was done taking hers like the gentleman he was. The two had moved into an apartment around a month after Shiro's "death." Neko herself had decorated, finding a knack for interior design, and Kuroh had to admit it looked pretty nice, the furniture found in secondhand shops tying everything together quite well.

"Neko, can you wash your hands?" he asked, putting his cheek in his hand. The girl stopped her process of liking her hands as though they were paws and mumbled complaints as she walked over to the sink.

"Want dessert?" he asked, taking the dishes over to where she was scrubbing some clean.

"No, not tonight." Neko furiously scrubbed at a plate with a dishcloth, trying with all her might to get it nice and dry. "Tag made Neko sleepy, so she's going to bed."

"So early?" It was only nine thirty, he noted in his mind, but shrugged it off. "Have it your way."

She slammed the plate down and rushed off to her room.

"That wasn't an excuse to neglect your chores!" He dragged her back with the assistance of his powers, the purple hand grabbing her by the collar of her shirt. "Do your duty!"

. . . . . . . .

* * *

Later that night, as Kuroh headed to his room, he stopped by Neko's upon hearing soft sounds. He put an ear to the door as quietly as possible.

She was crying.

Dammit.

Concerned, he whipped open the door, and she turned to him from her curled up position on her bed. She sniffled, then buried her head in her arms again. Kuroh sighed, squeezed the bridge of his nose, and sat down on the edge of the bed and simply waited for her to talk.

"Today really made Neko miss her Shiro. We did fun stuff that reminded me of him." She sniffed again, pulling back up a string of mucus. "How long is it going to take to find him?"

Kuroh breathed deeply and exhaled in the same manner. He looked over at the umbrella leaning on her nightstand and smiled warmly. "Shiro is our Immortal King. We'll find him soon, just you wait."

He reached for the umbrella and put it in her lap. She looked down at it, surprised, but her gaze softened and stroked it lovingly. "And when that time comes, you can give that to him." Kuroh patted her shoulder and stood. "Wherever he is, I'm sure he's glad we forgot our sadness for just a few minutes."


End file.
